Welcome to Local 537

Local 537 is devoted and dedicated to promoting, protecting, and championing the legitimate struggles of professional, office, and clerical employees toward achieving an improved lifestyle, economic well-being, their general welfare, and rights as workers and citizens.

Applications now are being accepted for the 2019 OPEIU educational scholarships, and all members are encouraged to apply. Full details, rules and applications can be found by clicking on the links below, as well as on the OPEIU app*.

Scholarship opportunities include the Howard Coughlin Memorial Scholarship for OPEIU members and dependents, and the John Kelly Labor Studies Scholarship for OPEIU members who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in labor studies, industrial relations and union leadership and administration. The deadline to submit these applications is April 30, 2019.

Scholarships are also available for children of OPEIU members to attend the Romeo Corbeil/Gilles Beauregard Memorial summer camp, held July 14-19, 2019, at the University of Missouri Campus, Columbia, Missouri. The deadline to submit this application is April 30, 2019.

*Download the free OPEIU app for iPhones at the App Store and for Android devices at Google Play by searching OPEIU.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

January 29, 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored working women’s right to sue over wage discrimination. A decade later, the labor movement is still one of the best avenues for closing the gender pay gap.

Message of the Day—Labor Leads the Way to Equal Pay

Over the course of her two-decade-long career at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Alabama, Lilly Ledbetter learned that she was making thousands less than her male counterparts.

She had lost out on more than $200,000 in wages—plus even more in retirement benefits. She challenged Goodyear’s discriminatory actions, eventually taking her case to the U.S. Supreme Court and the halls of Congress.

The bill named in her honor was the first piece of legislation signed by then-President Barack Obama on this day in 2009.

Despite the law, women still continue to face discriminatory pay practices—and the problem is even worse for women of color:

One of the best ways to close the gender pay gap is to join a union. By negotiating strong collective bargaining agreements, union women earn $231 more a week and have better benefits.

Kitchen Table Economics

25.8 million: The number of children who would benefit from closing the gender pay gap.

Quote of the Day

“We still are not paid equally. And if you believe that it's a myth, do the math. Unequal pay hurts women. It hurts their families. And it hurts us all. You and I have to continue fighting for equal pay for equal work. I get up each day with that on my mind, because I need to make a difference.” —Lilly Ledbetter

Take Action

New Dues Rates Effective February 1, 2019

Each year, the International Union imposes Per Capita increases on each Local, and in turn, each Local is expected to pass along the increase to its members. With this in mind, we would like to remind you that the last time Local 537 increased dues on its members was October 1, 2015. For the past three years, the Per Capita increase was not passed on to our members, as mandated by our International Union. This increase to the International Per Capita has been absorbed from our budget. While Local 537 tries to minimize the costs to our members, we can no longer absorb the increase.

Effective February 1, 2019, the monthly dues will be increased by two dollars ($2.00) per month; which is less than the four dollars and fifty cents ($4.50) increase that we have been obligated to pass on to our membership. This two dollar increase equates to about one cent (1¢) per working hour, per month. Even with this modest increase, we are less than some industry standards with our sliding scale.

Active & Fit Program

Our members who receive healthcare benefits from Kaiser Permanente now have an additional benefit. Active&Fit Direct is a program which gives members access to over 9,000 fitness centers for a membership fee of just $25.00 per month. To enroll, visit American Specialty Health's ChooseHealthy site for Kaiser Permanente members. Click on any of the Active&Fit information tiles to find a fitness center near you. To learn more, call 877-335-2746.

Working People Stopped "Right to Work"

On Tuesday, August 7, working women and men in Missouri turned out a huge “NO” vote on ballot measure Proposition A and rejected harmful “right to work” laws that were passed in the state Legislature last year.

This victory belongs to working people. It was our phone calls, our door knocks and, ultimately, our vote that had the final say.

The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, abandons decades of commonsense precedent. In this case, a bare majority of the court, over the vigorous dissent of four justices, has conceded to the dark web of corporations and wealthy donors who wish to take away the freedoms of working people. Until it is overturned, this decision will be a political stain on what is intended to be the most honorable, independent body in the world. But more importantly, it will further empower the corporate elites in their efforts to thwart the aspirations of millions of working people standing together for a better life. What does this mean to us? How will your union and your employment be affected? For more information on this decision and its implications, please click here.

Maria Landa-Rios Memorial Scholarship Winner

Congratulations to Caitlyn Botello, on receiving the Maria Landa-Rios Memorial Scholarship for 2018. Caitlyn, the daughter of Lynel Botello of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112, attends California Polytechnic University, Pomona, in pursuit of her Bachelor's Degree in Pre-Veterinary Animal Science, with an ultimate goal of receiving her DVM. This year's scholarship question asked, "What would be the immediate effects on the Labor Movement if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Janus Case?" Click here to read Caitlyn's essay. (From left: Jacqueline K. White-Brown, Business Manager; Caitlyn Botello; Lynnette T. Howard, Business Representative.)

Identity Protection

OPEIU is pleased to announce its newest membership benefit free for all members – identity protection.

Now all OPEIU members will have a proactive, comprehensive defense against identity theft, all at no cost to you, our members. OPEIU has contracted one of the nation’s leading identity protection solutions, InfoArmor®, to protect members against this $16 billion crime that impacted almost 15.4 million Americans last year. Click the image to read about highlights of the benefit, or go to the International's website here to receive more information.

OPEIU Towing Service

OPEIU is pleased to report that the OPEIU Towing/Service Calls program is still a big hit with our members.

We are constantly reviewing the plan, making adjustments where necessary to ensure the program is most useful to our members and cost-effective for the union. In an effort to tighten the plan to achieve both those goals, we have instituted a few changes that went into effect October 1, 2017. These changes should have no impact on the high-level of service provided to our members, but rest assured, we will regularly review and make adjustments as needed to ensure quality control.

As always, all members will be entitled to up to two tows per year, valued at up to $100 each – $80 for the tow, plus a $20 administrative fee paid by OPEIU. In the past, OPEIU has allowed the tow limit to be upward of $100 PLUS the $20 administrative fee, making the actual value of each tow up to $120. Going forward we are enforcing the $100 limit, so each tow’s maximum will be $80, plus the $20 administrative fee paid by the union, and the member will be responsible for any amount that exceeds $80 for any tow/service call. A review of the plan’s usage over the past years indicates that the average tow/service call cost is approximately $70 plus the administrative fee, so this change is likely to affect very few members.

Our service provider, Nation Safe Drivers, informs us that our towing radius of up to 25 miles is extremely generous and much more than the industry average. Our plan’s usage reports also indicate that our average tow is 15 miles or less, therefore, we are reducing our towing coverage area from 25 miles to 15 miles.

We are encouraging our members to use our network providers only. If a towing provider outside of the network is used, OPEIU will now only reimburse up to $50 to any member who submits a receipt for service. It is not OPEIU policy to reimburse and that members should only use the OPEIU Towing/Service Calls Program through Nation Safe Drivers. Here is what you need to access the OPEIU program:

Finally, we are also making an effort to make the OPEIU Membership Benefits program a paperless endeavor, and have posted the towing card – along with other OPEIU benefit materials – on the OPEIU website at www.opeiu.org and on the OPEIU app, which is available for free download at the App Store and Google Play by searching OPEIU. We encourage you to download the app today.

Get Connected!
Download the OPEIU App Today
The new OPEIU app is a great way to stay connected to your union, learn more about your membership benefits, find links to OPEIU's social media networks, and much more. Available for free download for iPhones at the App Store and for Android devices at Google Play by searching OPEIU. Click on the Store links to get the apps.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website should not be solely relied upon, as it is based on currently available information that is subject to change. If you have any specific questions concerning the information contained on this website, please contact OPEIU Local 537.